Instead of rushing to a decision on where to build the city’s indoor aquatic center — or jumping head-first into a shallow part that you think might be deep — members of the Russellville City Council want to go back to the drawing board. After the Recreation and Parks Commission recommended earlier this month to build the aquatic center at a site on North Phoenix Avenue, the city’s Finance Committee tabled naming a site because the priority is to make the right decision, not the quickest decision, Alderman Mark Tripp previously told The Courier.

Commissioners approved the 19th Street site (behind the L.V. Williamson Boys Girls Club facility) as its second choice. The other site is Vick Field, across Parkway Drive from the Hughes Community Center.

Each site has its supporters and dissenters. The Vick Field location got the OK from Mayor Bill Eaton because of its proximity to the Hughes Center, and also earned points for its construction cost and ease. Alderman Spencer Roberts, the council’s liaison to the Recreation and Parks Commission, said there was no room for expansion.

RHS volunteer swim coach Gary Knudsen liked the North Phoenix site because of its proximity to Interstate 40 and Russellville Junior High School. So did Commissioner J.W. Stratton, who also noted the site’s visibility.However, the North Phoenix site needs water and sewer extensions, estimated to cost about $80,000. Mack Hollis, Recreation and Parks director, said nearly five of the 20 acres of city-owned land at the North Phoenix site are out of the flood plain and usable.

The city would also have to purchase land at the East 19th Street site — up to 11 acres at a cost of $10,000 per acre, or at least $50,000.

During the Commission’s March meeting, ETC Engineers & Architects of Little Rock gave Vick Field its highest ranking, with the North Phoenix Avenue site ranked second and the East 19th Street location third. Less than a month later, commissioners approved the North Phoenix site as its first choice for the indoor aquatic center and the East 19th Street site as its second choice.

Funding for the aquatic center ($7 million) comes from the renewal of the 1-cent sales tax approved by voters last September.

Alderman Martin Irwin suggested during Thursday’s regular City Council meeting that the original pool committee go back to the drawing (or diving) board.

“Maybe for the first time ever, we want to try to think ahead and maybe put a parks and recreation park together that we can use for the next 25, 30 years or more,” the alderman explained. “Hughes Center is old, and the North Phoenix property has a maximum of 4.6 acres that you can use. Last spring with all the rains, it was all under water by 2 feet.

Instead of $80,000 to get utilities there, it’s more like $110,000 to start with. It probably ought to be excluded from the locations, because there’s no opportunity to expand.

“We’re not in a great big hurry to dig up dirt, so we are trying to find a spot. We might as well slow down a bit and try to think ahead. There’s no question about it, we’re going to have an aquatic center. But we don’t have to jump into something we’re going to regret in five years, or sooner.” Irwin said a pool committee that included representatives from the school district discussed locations, but kind of fizzled out.

“We ought to do it again, get it together and maybe some of the Recreation and Parks Commission folks involved, and try to come up with something that makes sense,” Irwin added. “Let’s put the brakes on a little bit, slow down and use our heads for something besides a hat rack.”

Also Thursday, Finance Committee members recommended these items, which were approved by the full council:

Authorized Mayor Bill Eaton and City Clerk Kathy Collins to apply and sign for, if granted, a Federal Aviation Administration grant for the Russellville Airport Commission. The grant would not exceed $225,000, and would be used to install a precision approach path indicator system on Runway 25 and a runway end identifier lights system on Runway 7.

Made the part-time secretarial position at the city attorney’s office a full-time position. The salary difference for 2014 would be $12,696.

Appropriated $3,035 for snow plow repairs; $16,194 for equitable sharing with the U.S. Marshals Service; and $62,000 for signal rehabilitation on State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 64.

The council voted to appropriate $19,226 for a security camera system at Hughes Center and a public address system at Hickey Pool, but not without some concerns from Alderman Tripp.

“I am not opposed to funding these two items,” he told the council, “I’m opposed to funding it this way.”

He pointed out he thought the funding should come out of the capital fund and was taking away from future or potential funding for city parks.